X27 Splitting Maul by Fiskars

What is it?



A splitting axe with a composite handle

Where to get it
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN/B004M3BAQE/rs12-20/?tag=pfa12-20

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I give this axe an 8 out of 10 acorns.

It splits extremely well but I have to admit that the handle isn't made out of the most permaculture aligned materials. If I'm splitting firewood by hand this is the tool that I use repeatedly and I've tried every maul I could get my hands on from the big red triangle headed beast to the standard Collins splitting maul to German hand-forged and the Fiskars beats 'em all.

I give this axe 10 out of 10 acorns. My husband loves this axe, he got as a present, and it really cuts wood well, and it's light weight. My parents came by to help chop wood one day, and they liked it so much they bought one for themselves, and they already have quite a few axes, and don't like spending money. The fact that they bought one for themselves, speaks volumes to me as to it's quality.

I personally haven't used the ax, as I don't feel comfortable chopping wood  with my kids around, and they're always around me! But with so many glowing reports from my family, I had to leave a review!

UPDATE 6 years later: We honestly never sharpened this axe, and it's the only  axe we use to chop wood to heat our house. It chops a lot of wood each year! For about 4 years now, I've been chopping with this axe, and I love it. At first it was too heavy for me (having never chopped wood before), but now I can swing it with ease. My son, who's 10, also swings and chops wood with this axe, and can split a lot of easy wood on the fist whack.

I upped my rating from 9 acorns to 10. Considering I and my son can chop wood with ease with it, and we've never even sharpened it in 6+ years of use, this axe is truly impressive. I've tried chopping wood with our other axe, and it's heavy and unwieldly. I love this axe. I should buy another.

I give this axe 10 out of 10 acorns.  I LOVE it.  It is exquisitely engineered so that it's quite light to lift and swing and the head is sharp and slippery so it flies through the wood.  I'm rather sturdy and I don't even have to slide my hands apart to heft the axe back overhead.  I just keep swinging like the lumberjack in Hoodwinked.

While I'm guessing the handle is made from some magical dinosaur goo, it will far outlive any wood handle and allows the head to be lighter so it just plain works.  I'd recommend to anyone.  I haven't even had to use my 8 lb splitting maul since I got this.  I might have it easy since I mainly split pine, birch, maple, hemlock and poplar.

Alley Bate wrote:Can anyone comment on how well it works when more of the teflon coating has worn off?

I've had mine four years, and I've split around 12 full cords with it. Wearing the teflon off has made no difference, still wonderful.

I give this axe 9 out of 10 acorns.  

I really do enjoy this maul for splitting wood, and it's one of the easiest .... if not the easiest maul that I have ever used.  I have been struggling whether to score this tool a 9 or a 10.  I am on the fence.  This is a very cheap and durable splitting maul.  Sure, it's going to cost you around 50 to 75 dollars for the size and weight that you desire, but it is going to last you.  This thing is going to help you chop wood.  It's blade profile is a nice wedge shape, and really forces the sections of the wood apart.  

There must be a reason that I struggled with docking this tool an acorn, and it is the handle.  I do not like the shock of the composite handle.  I much prefer a wood handle that absorbs the shock when you hit the wood.  It is as though I can feel every strike in my wrists, and this may be something that some people can't stand.  For me, it's just something that I dislike about this maul ...... but I can live with it for the price.  The composite handle does impart some good benefits.  This makes it a much sturdier and safer axe.  Someone doesn't have to worry about the head coming lose with this model.  Also, I am sure the composite handle makes this axe cheaper to produce.  

I have thought about putting a grip on the axe handle, similar to what is on tennis rackets ..... but, I am not sure if that will cause the axe to lose mobility in my hand.  I use an old-time method of twisting the axe head right at point of contact, to help throw apart the two pieces of wood.  Right now, the shock of the hit isn't enough of an issue to force me to experiment.  Perhaps I will in the future!

If you need to split wood for the winter, you can save yourself a ton of effort with this tool.  This is a very efficient maul for log splitting.  It's weight will give you a little bit of exercise, but will also help you with splitting those stubborn rounds.  I fully recommend this tool.

I give the tool about 7 out of 10 sticks of firewood. :-)

I split about 4 full cord of wood with it, the wood being a mix of soft and hardwood.

I like its overall weight, and ability to split, but dislike the shock of the handle. The biggest issue is its smallish width of its cutting surface...it just needs to be bigger!


(As a side note: the Teflon coating should never be an issue. Proper use of axes require applying wax to keep pitch from sticking to the axe, and the axe from sticking to the wood its working. You can also use Ivory soap on your axe too).

Thanks for the review Travis!  If you edit your post as follows the review grid will be able to find and display your review:

Remove the word "about"
Change the words "sticks of firewood" to "acorns"

That particular string of text is what the software searches for.  It's not as much fun but it's what we have

I've never noticed the shock of the handle myself.  I don't use gloves with it, not sure if that matters...

I give this tool 10 out of 10 acorns !
 My 8# maul sits lonely ever since I got my x27 36" Fiskars !  I liked it so much I bought another ! We have two woodsheds . I have owned the smaller Fiskars limbing axe for years . I spotted this at a friends house , thought I would try it just so I could claim I liked my 8# better...   Went home and ordered one!  Was steered away from the shorter one as a shin hazard to tall people.
It works so good I rarely need to  give a real swing most times just a half hearted swing will pop wood apart.  
Gransfor's  Bruks may be a top of the line craftsman tool, but its not meant to bounce twenty miles up a mountain road  in the back of a pickup and then split wood in the middle of a gravel road!  Fiskars is !

I give this tool 8 out of 10 acorns.

The Fiskars X27 splitting axe feels great in the hand. The six pound weight and the ease of swinging is highly appreciated. This was one of the first axes I have used to split wood when I lived at a place that had a woodstove. This axe is reliable when it hits most wood, and it takes to tune-ups on the blade very well. I have dinged two apples because of the Non-Permie materials utilized in its construction. The price is competitive compared to other axes and it has been on the market for a number of years now.

If someone was looking for a reliable splitter, I would recommend this product.

8/10 Acorns.

A GREAT splitter. However being fiberglass, and having that futuristic (ie: well-designed) shape means it has no soul.